Partnership Investment Finance

Orbit Research, which employs six staff was set up in 1994 by directors Ian Jones and Gavin Foster, specialises in electrical and electronic engineering.

 

The company provides hardware and software development in the field of satellite communication and earth station engineering for companies including Comsat, British Telecom, BBC, Eutelsat and Telenor.

 

Orbit was recently appointed a distributor for Eutelsat, the leading satellite operator in Europe for video and data services and one of the top three global providers of Fixed Satellite Services (FSS).

 

Mr Jones said: "As a small, flexible group of professional satellite communication engineers with a strong capability in electronics design, software engineering, project management, general management and training we are ideally positioned to offer a world-class approach to solving problems with solutions that work first time.

 

"However, we required further funding to ensure we continue our growth into the future by entering new markets around the world. Most importantly we needed to develop a new ground station in the UK."

 

After talks with Partnership Investment Finance the management team set their key objectives and milestones for Orbit for the next five years.

 

Once a business plan was signed off Partnership Investment Finance agreed to invest £100,000 in the Bradford-based communications group.

 

Mr Jones said: "We are now expanding our market with a new service in critical communications solutions to provide customers with an alternative communications stream if their fixed line goes down.

 

"Our investment from PIF will be used to invest in our transmission ground station and allow us to roll out our new critical communications services in the UK."

 

PIF Lending Manager Graham Leake said: "Orbit already has a very solid reputation as well as an impressive range of clients - we have no doubt that Orbit will continue to go from strength to strength."